Tag: For Mom

Does anyone feel like they are on the brink of losing it? Like, all the time? This is what I have always wanted to do. Stay home with my babies, and take care of my husband, my kids, and my puppies. I wanted them to be my everything and for me to be theirs. And yet, now that it has actually happened, I still feel like I’m on this theoretical ledge all the time.

Amazing day or bad day, that ledge is right there. Just staring at me and threatening my sanity. Not everyone is as aware of that ledge as I am. Some people are, some parents have anxiety, too. I guess my question is, exactly how many? How many of us walk around trying our best and are still scared s***less 90% of the time? I pray, do yoga, have everything just right, and I am still wondering what else I could be doing.

Are they sleeping enough? Because I know I am not.

Do they watch too much TV?

When should they start preschool?

Is all the work I do while being a “stay at home mom” defeating the purpose of being here?

Did they hear me swear when I stubbed my foot on the table leg?

Will this be the horrible day that they remember when they are 40?

Did I encourage them enough?

How are we influencing them when we don’t know it?

Is my house clean enough?

Are they sick this time because I didn’t wash the bathroom enough?

What about the potential mold? Yeah, I should rip out the wall to check.

Are we making sure they see enough of their family members?

Am I spending enough time for myself so I’m the best I can be for them?

Did they hear the attitude in my voice when I was talking to my husband?

It. Never. Stops. Ever.

Why did noone tell us about this? This never ending parent dialogue that is in our heads. Big things, little things, intelligent things, stupid things?

I have days when I feel like we are the best parents ever. We are doing everything right and giving them a better life than we could have ever dreamed of. There are also days when I wonder, “How can it possibly get worse than this?” Both toddlers screaming, both parents sleep deprived and snippy, both staring at each other like “How did this even happen?”…. and the puppy pees on the floor and runs through it.

My point? You are not alone.

No one. Parent or not. You have someone. And if you don’t feel like you do, then you certainly have someone you can talk to in me, and in this amazing little BurritoBuzz Community we have created.

During this Christmas season, I am challenging myself, and you, to treat yourself better. Take a step back and really look at what you have. I mean really look!

My kids might never sleep, but I have amazing kids to wake up to every single morning.

My husband might have a crazy schedule that I hate, but he is more than I could have ever dreamed of for myself and works so unbelievably hard for our little family.

My dogs might make my house messy, but they bring an extra level of love into my home that I just couldn’t ever replace.

My house might be older and need fixed from time to time, but we have a home, and a pretty perfect one at that.

I might have to go shopping before we have dinner, but we have money to go shopping with.

Bedtime is always a fight, but my kids enjoy life and don’t want to miss a single minute.

Turn your life around by flipping your attitude. Your life is no one else’s responsibility other than your own!

Parent or not, your attitude, your stress, your anxiety, and your outlook on life can only be changed by you.

It is Christmas time! Cinch that belt, because we all ate too much last week, love yourself as much as you can, and love everyone around you. Stop beating yourself up, tell your subconscious to cool it, because it’s time to snuggle up on the couch and watch Christmas movies with your kids on repeat for the next month!

If you know me, then you know I love saving money and subscription boxes. Being a stay at home mom, and on a very tight budget because of having only one income, it’s not often that I am able to splurge on something for myself. Not only that, I generally have a hard time forking over money to buy something for myself when I could use that money to buy something for the kids, my husband, or something we need at home. I’m certain I’m not alone in this, so I reached out to an amazing subscription box company called Ivory Clasp to review their service and products. I am so excited to share them with our readers!

Ivory Clasp is a monthly or bi-monthly subscription service, where for just $45 a month, you get a beautiful handbag valued at $100 or more, which is hand picked by their stylists based on an in depth style quiz you take when signing up. A $100+ handbag for only $45? Sign me up! The style quiz asks a lot of questions, such as favorite colors and your style preferences, but it’s super quick and easy. There is even a comment section to tell the stylists what they need to stay away from. For me, it was light colors because my children are little animals. The stylists were pretty spot on with the bag they chose for me, too. They picked a beautiful red leather Deux Lux boho bag with rose gold accents that can be a crossbody or shoulder bag, it is gorgeous! If you have someone that is hard to buy for this holiday season, an Ivory Clasp subscription would be a great gift! Like I always say, who doesn’t love the surprise of a subscription box? See the video of me unboxing my first Ivory Clasp box here:

**Burrito Buzz received this product at low or no cost for the purpose of review or testing. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All product reviews are based 100% off of our personal experiences and we never guarantee a positive review.**

Like most new moms, I hardly had the time and energy to eat when my first daughter was born. I quite literally lived on a couple cans of Redbull a day. I got back to my pre-baby weight super fast, and even lost about 15 pounds more on top of that. I hadn’t been so small since my freshman year of high school and it happened in a really unhealthy way. When you have a newborn, finding the time and energy to eat just doesn’t happen. Instead of eating when you get free time, you choose to do the dishes, laundry, or if you’re smart, you’lltake a nap. I can’t image if I had been breastfeeding. You burn so many calories when you nurse, so you have to eat. That’s where Freida’s Pantry comes in! I recently found out this UK company is launching in the US today and I had to share their delicious nutritional bars with our readers!

Freida’s Pantry bars contain a mix of grains, nuts, and super seeds that are rich in vitamin B that help with energy production. The bars provide protein which keeps you feeling fuller, longer, and is a quick and convenient snack that’s also good for you. For breastfeeding mamas, they’re also rich in Omega 3 and “good fats” that have been shown to increase the fat content in breastmilk. The unique blend of seeds and nuts provide a variety of vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, zinc, and selenium. The bars are wheat, soy, and dairy-free and are suitable for vegans.

No artificial additives or preservatives

Non GMO

All ingredients are ethically sourced

Three bars are coming to the US today, and they’re all so good!

Freida’s Pantry Feeding Food Snack Bar is perfect for postpartum and breastfeeding moms. It’s packed with superfoods and full of nutrients and good fats that help with energy levels (that we all know new moms need help with) and they keep you full longer. I love how convenient a snack bar is and the fact that it helps nursing moms fight hunger and tiredness and supports lactation makes it even more awesome! Ingredients: Oats, Almonds, Pistachios, lin seeds, Quinoa, Sunflower seeds, Chia seeds, fennel seed, raisins, golden syrup and sunflower oilFreida’s Pantry Super Charged Food Snack Bar – Goji & Fennel is so delicious! It’s super dense in several super foods that keeps energy up and provides much needed nutrients. It’s made up of 9 different super seeds, nuts, grains, and fruits. It’s the perfect start to your morning, whether you’re an expectant mom, a tired parent, working on your fitness, or just a busy, active person. Ingredients: Oats, Linseeds, Sunflower Seeds, Chia Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Almonds, Quinoa, Pistachios, Goji Berries, RaisinsFreida’s Pantry Super Charged Food Snack Bar – Maca & Chia is equally delicious, but I didn’t try it. My husband got to it first and devoured it! He loved it! It’s made of a unique mix of superfoods that support fertility as well as energy levels and vitality. Again, it’s perfect the perfect snack for new moms and those in the pre-pregnancy stage. Ingredients: Oats, Quinoa, Almonds, Linseeds, Brazil nuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Sesame Seeds, Maca, Goji berries, Golden Syrup, Sunflower OilFreida’s Pantry bars are available in packs of 12 for $31.20, making each bar $2.60 which is comparable to other seed and nut bars on the market, but Freida’s Pantry bars pack such a big punch! The fact that they’re made for pregnant, nursing, and postpartum women makes them an even better deal at that price! Check out Freida’s Pantry website for more nutritional information, FAQs, and you can also order yourself a pack of bars and have them delivered right to your door!

**Burrito Buzz received this product at low or no cost for the purpose of review or testing. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All product reviews are based 100% off of our personal experiences and we never guarantee a positive review.**

Abso-freaking-lutely. I am definitely a believer. I’m sold and I won’t go back! But let’s start from the beginning.

When my husband and I first started to realize we were going to have a harder time conceiving than we had hoped, we decided to change our lifestyles to try and rid unnecessary toxins and chemicals from our bodies and our household. I heard of the DivaCup, but it sounded gross, weird and just plain scary. But you know what else is scary? All the shit that is in the majority of tampons and pads out there. If you’re not buying organic feminine products, there’s a really good chance you’re putting some nasty stuff up/in/around/below your vagina. And I was too, so no judgement here. I’m going to spare you the science lesson that I would probably botch (and we’re all adults here and know how to use Google). But go now and do a few Google searches about what’s in tampons and pads. Even scarier, the FDA isn’t required to list the ingredients because feminine products are considered “medical devices.” I don’t doubt a man is behind this somehow.

Anyway, after I did all that research and decided my vagina deserves better, I started looking into menstrual cups. I was still hesitant, but I liked the thought that 1. I could spend around $30 and it would last me a year or so and 2. there was no waste going into the landfills. There are tons of different brands, each with different sizes/benefits, but I was a newbie and decided to go with the brand I heard most about, The DivaCup. I ordered mine from Amazon and it was right around $30.

In case you don’t have a clue what the hell I’m talking about when I say “menstrual cup” (like my mother, love you mom!), I’ll explain. It’s a small silicone ‘cup’ that you place in your vagina. It’s super bendy and flexible, and it kind of suction cups to the walls of your vagina. The cup catches all of the blood. Imagine a funnel (without the hole in the bottom), as long as the cup is in place, there are no leaks.

When I first received my DivaCup, I got online and read all kinds of tips and watched videos so I knew what the heck I was doing. I will admit, it took a few tries to get the hang of it and to get it to where there were no leaks, but once I figured out what worked for me, it’s super easy! It’s completely painless and not weird at all.

Here are some things I’ve heard when I tell people I use the DivaCup:

Ew. I don’t want to get blood on my hands. Yes, you might get a little blood on your hands, most likely when you’re first figuring out how to use the cup. If you have to take it in and out to get it in the right spot, you may get a little blood on you. Once you get the hang of it though, the cup is clean when you put it in, and the bottom part you pull out should stay pretty clean while it’s in there! I’ve never had an incident where I was covered in blood. It’s your own blood after all, it’ll be okay.

How do you empty it when you’re in public? I don’t. I’ve never had to. You can go 10- 12 hours without emptying it and I’ve always been able to plan ahead to where I will have a private bathroom to rinse my DivaCup out in. I will normally empty it in the morning before leaving for work and in the late afternoon when returning home from work. It’s kind of amazing to see how little you actually bleed most days.

What if I spill my DivaCup everywhere? I don’t have much advice for this, except don’t! It’s really much easier than people think. There’s a little stem at the bottom that you use to pull/pinch the cup to pull it out and empty in the toilet, rinse it in the sink then put it back in. I’ve never had a ‘Carrie’ moment with blood and my DivaCup.

How do you clean it? During my cycle, I just give it a good rinse with hot water in the sink (hot water makes the cup more flexible and easier to insert too). When my cycle ends, after I give it a good cleaning in the sink, I just put it in boiling water to sterilize it. They now sell a special DivaCup soap called DivaWash, but boiling has always worked for me.

I could go on and on with information and facts, but by this time you’re either interested or you think I’m crazy or gross. There is endless information out there, so I encourage you to do some research and find out what the best option is for you! Your vagina will thank you!

Five of the Burrito Buzz Moms received an awesome offer for us each to review a bracelet from Sashka Co. I connected with the company via Twitter because I was intrigued by their adorable bracelets that appeared to be perfect for moms. I personally am not a big jewelry wearer. I have a few nice piece that my husband bought for me, so I always wear the same thing. I never wear anything too flashy or bulky, and I definitely stay away from jewelry that my kiddos could get a hold of and ruin. This bracelet has met all of my expectations!

Sashka Co. is a unique company because their bracelets are handmade, bead by bead, in Nepal. Artisan women work from home for fair wages in hopes to beat poverty through fair trade. The company is focused on empowering women and promoting gender equality.

Bracelets are hand crocheted using glass beads and cotton thread. Because of this, the bracelet will simply roll over your hand and form to your wrist for the perfect fit and fit over any size hand.

Sashka Co. offers a lifetime guarantee. With that said, if your bracelet breaks, they replace it! The company also promises an exchange or return if you are not happy with the fit of your bracelet.

They offer a ton of colors and color combinations to go with any outfit.

The bracelet was durable just as I had hoped. My 1 year old pulled on it when it was around my wrist, and not only did it not break, it didn’t seem to get stretched out.

Bracelets range from $13-28 from Sashka Co.’s website. I think this is more than reasonable, especially because they also offer free shipping on orders over $25! They also have bracelet sets available.

A a mom of two little toddlers, I think it’s important to feel like I’m put together some days, because most often, I am so far from put together. If a little jewelry will do that, then so be it! This bracelet is dressy enough to add a little flare to any outfit for any occasion, but practical enough to be worn around my little ones. I give it 5 out of 5 stars, and I’m sure my fellow Burrito Buzz Moms will agree! They too love their Sashka Co. bracelets!

Check out Sashka Co. on their website to learn more about their business and to buy some of their beautiful bracelets!

**BurritoBuzz received this product at low or no cost for the purpose of review or testing. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All product reviews are based 100% off of our personal experiences with a product and we never guarantee a positive review.**

Like most moms and grandmothers, I love showing off my little ones and the fact that I am a mother. I want the whole world to know that I am the mom of two of the sweetest, most beautiful girls on the planet. Of course I plaster their cute little faces all over my Instagram and Facebook pages and 99% of my Snapchat story is my four month old laughing and smiling as she’s starting to play with toys and my almost four year old running around the house being crazy. But my favorite, most personal way to honor my girls and to let everyone know they’re my world is personalized jewelry. I love jewelry as it is, but make it personal and it’s everything. I’ve been following Made by Mary on Instagram for quite some time now and finally pulled the trigger and reached out to collaborate on a review. I am so glad I did! I am beyond excited to share Mary’s beautiful personalized jewelry with our readers!

Mary Moody started Made by Mary as an outlet to cope with postpartum depression. She creates gorgeous metal stamped, minimalistic and meaningful pieces of jewelry that are perfect for parents, grandparents, caregivers or anyone who loves someone so much that they want to wear their name around their neck every single day! The jewelry is so simple and elegant! Made by Mary has several different styles of necklaces and bracelets to choose from, available in gold (14k gold filled), silver (sterling) or rose gold (14k gold filled). Necklaces have 3 different chain length options – 17 inches, 18 inches and 19 inches, perfect lengths to suit everyone. Personalization is available in three different fonts: Typewriter, Script, and Ariel and each front is available in upper and lowercase. Made by Mary has so many different types of necklaces to personalize, like their bar necklaces (my personal favorite) that can be personalized with names, dates, roman numerals, the sky’s the limit! You can also choose the bar length – 1.25, 1.5 and 1.75 inches long. There are also round and square charms that can be personalized with letters, dates or initials and there’s a cute little state charm, too! Seriously, there’s just toomuch to list, you have to check out Made by Mary’s Etsy shop to see all of the necklaces and combinations!

The possibilities are endless when it comes to their bracelets as well. Made by Mary bracelets are available for little wrists, too, so your little one can match you! They even have a Mama + Mini Duo! If you or a loved one has a medical condition (allergy, diabetes,ect.), gorgeous Medical ID bracelets are also available to personalize! Bracelets chains are available from 5 to 7 inches, making them a perfect fit for everyone.

I was sent an 18 inch silver bar ‘Mama” necklace (also available in “Grandma”) and the chain hit exactly where I wanted it to! It’s so delicate and simple, the perfect statement piece to let everyone know I am the Mama to my two little girls. I have sensitive skin when it comes to jewelry and this silver is not irritating at all, I am so thankful! I give Made by Mary jewelry a 5 out of 5 stars! I will definitely be a returning customer, not only for myself, but for gifts for family and friends! I know the moms and grandmas in my life will love Mary’s gorgeous handmade jewelry as much as I do!

Made by Mary is offering 15% off exclusively for BurritoBuzz readers! Use code BUZZ15 at checkout when you shop!

**BurritoBuzz received these products at low or no cost for the purpose of review or testing. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All product reviews are based 100% off of our personal experiences and we never guarantee a positive review.**

If you’re anything like me, you love products that help make your life easier and add to something you enjoy doing. Essie’s Gel•Setter does both for me. I love having my nails painted and I love being the one to paint them. Who am I kidding, I would love to be able to afford a shellac manicure every other week but we just don’t have the money and I don’t have the time to get away even if we did. If we ever win the lottery, I would definitely make sure I get a weekly manicure, that’s a promise! Look at all shine! But because I’m my own manicurist, I love finding products that make the process easier and quicker. My husband (thanks to my hinting) got me Essie’s Gel•Setter top coat for Christmas and I was really surprised he found it (he says without helpfrom anyone at the store!). I have used it several times and I don’t think I will ever use another top coat. It goes on so smooth with nobubbles and so much shine!I’ve used a lot of different top coats in hopes of finding one that I really love but never managed to find until Essie’s Gel•Setter. I need my nail polish to stay on through all dishes I wash, the baths I give my toddler, showers (that I rarely get) and not to mention all of the hand washing and amount of Purell I use during the winter. Although it doesn’t say it’s a rapid dry top coat, it actuall dries really fast which is absolutely necessary with a toddler running around. They look fabulous even on day 4! I forgot to take a picture before taking the color off on day 7-8.As for the length of time it lasts without chipping, I must say it does not last 2 weeks, even when applying 2 coats. I really don’t think you’re going to find an at-home product that is going to last 2 weeks. You’re going to have to go to the salon for that. But I’m okay with a little over a week like my manicures have lasted. I get bored easily and by day 7-8, I’m itching to change my color. I give this product 2 thumbs up! You can find it at Walgreens and Target. At $10 a bottle, it’s wellworthit and will last you months. Here are some links to purchase online: